Defending champions Gujarat Titans started TATA IPL 2023 with a win, beating Chennai Super Kings by five wickets in their opening match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad Friday. Shubman Gill’s brilliant 63 off 36 balls helped the Titans post 179 in a tight final in Ahmedabad after Ruturaj Gaikwad had set the Narendra Modi Stadium rocking with 92 off 50 balls. Rashid Khan’s 2/26 off four overs and struck ten off three balls to take Titans over the finish line along with Rahul Tewatia (15 off 14). Gujarat Titans started the match briskly. They put up a compelling total of 179. Saha and Gill chased down the first impact player of the IPL – Tushar Deshpande – who replaced Ambati Rayudu at the start of the second innings and scored 15 runs in the second over with a six and a couple of fours. Saha played the attacking role as he hit a pull for a six off Chahar and hoisted one over mid-wicket off debutant Rajvardhan Hangargekar for a four. The debutant, however, hit back hard and dismissed Saha (25) three balls later when Shivam Dube took a brilliant catch at third man.

Gujarat Titans introduced B Sai Sudharsan as their impact player, replacing Kane Williamson, who was injured while attempting a catch on the boundary line. The Impact player made an immediate impact as he smashed the first ball he faced for four through square leg. Gill gained momentum as he hit a four and a six off Deshpande. Sudharsan and Gill struck a four against Mitchell Santner to end the powerplay with a score of 65/1 for GT.

While Gill was on a roll, CSK conceded a big wicket on the other end when Jadeja, who had bowled well, removed GT captain Pandya for 8 when he missed his slog sweep. The CSK all-rounder finished with excellent figures of 4-0-28-1.

Santner and Chahar then bowled tight overs, conceding just seven and four runs to pile on the pressure and take the equation to 30 needed balls (18). Hangargekar conceded just one run in the first three balls of the 18th over, and Vijay Shankar triggered the pressure valve when he hit a pull over deep mid-wicket for a six. However, the debutant CSK hit back hard and outfoxed Shankar with a slow ball that Santner caught at long-off. Hangargekar pitched an excellent over, giving away only seven balls and picking up one wicket. Chahar needed 23 off 11 shots, but Tewatia missed his shot, and the ball flew out for four leg byes. After a single, Rashid Khan launched a mighty six over deep mid-wicket and a four over short third man, needing only eight off six balls to relieve the pressure.

Deshpande began the final over with a WIDE. Tewatia, the finisher, threw a ball over extra cover for a six and finished with a four over the ground. Rajvardhan Hangargekar shone on his debut for CSK with 3/36 wickets.

Mohd Shami started well for GT and got things moving in the first half. He beat Devon Conway’s outside edge and conceded just two runs in the first over. Ruturaj Gaikwad opened the boundary account, smashing a drive from Hardik Pandya through mid-wicket in the second over.

Shami picked up the first wicket of TATA IPL 2023 in the next over when he bowled Conway out with a fine knock to register his 100th IPL wicket.

Mohd. Shami started off well for GT and got a hint of movement early on as he beat Devon Conway’s outside edge and gave away just two runs in the first over. Ruturaj Gaikwad then opened the boundary account as he flicked one through mid-wicket off Hardik Pandya in the second over, and it raced away. Two balls later, he blazed one through covers for the second four of the over.

Shami was bowling beautifully, and he scalped the first wicket of TATA IPL 2023 in the next over as he cleaned up Conway with a beauty to register his 100th IPL wicket.